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What’s your coffee habit doing to your liver? The answer may surprise you

What was your first thought when you woke up this morning? Was it … coffee?

If you’re an avid coffee-drinker, you’ll be excited to know there are more perks in your cup than the pick-me-up.

A recent article published in the journalAlimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics suggested that drinking two more cups of coffee a day may lower your risk of cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver by 44 percent. The researchers analyzed nine studies examining the link between drinking coffee and cirrhosis risk. In addition, coffee seems to offer a number of liver-protective benefits.

Animal and human studies suggest that drinking coffee reduces the frequency of abnormal liver function tests, fibrosis (thickening and scarring of connective tissue) and hepatocellular carcinoma (a type of liver cancer), the authors wrote. Coffee reduces oxidative stress and anti-inflammation, which is good news for coffee-drinkers’ risk of premature death.

A Harvard study published last year in the journal Circulationfound that people who drink three to five cups of coffee a day – caffeinated or decaffeinated – may be less likely to die prematurely from some illnesses than non-drinkers. Coffee drinkers saw a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases, Type 2 diabetes and suicide, Harvard said in its press release.

The reason? “Bioactive compounds in the coffee that reduce insulin resistance and systematic inflammation,” suggested first author Ming Ding, a doctoral student at Harvard. “However, more studies are needed to investigate the biological mechanisms producing these effects,” he added.

As long as you aren’t drinking excessive amounts, your daily coffee habit seems to have its fair share of health perks. So cheers to that!

Enjoy Your Healthy Life!

The pH professional health care team includes recognized experts from a variety of health care and related disciplines, including physicians, attorneys, nutritionists, nurses and certified fitness instructors. To learn more about the pH Health Care Team, click here.